Flush receptacle



Patented .lanr..25, ,19.27.`

fiUNirEio: :STATES PATENT OFFICE. A

- 'PAUL HARTMANN, 0E BHOQKLYNNEW YORK, Assi'GNoR, ARY DIRECT' AND MEsNE `AssIGNMENTs, or ONE-HALE .'roj CHARLES LQEIDLITZ, 0E NEW YORK,y N. Y., AND o'NE- t HALETO METRoroLrTAN ELEGTRIC MEG. o0., AooRroRA'rroN or NEW JERSEY.

FLUSH IREOEPTACLE'.

y ApplicatienVled September 30, 1922. Serial No. 591,489. i

My invention relates toduplex electric `receptaclesk that is, receptacles having two .pairs otslotsso as to aiiord outlets Vfor tivo4 'K plugs `at the Sametime, rand morev particularly to such receptacles for use with selective polarity plugs,r that is, plugs having one blade Wider than .the other, the outlet slots in tlielreceptacle being oi' correspondingly dilterential Widthfso that the plug` can be put inv only'oneway.--` 1 y i ySuch selective polarity outletsand plugs have theirfutilityv with `D.1C. current and `with appliances whichy Will yoperate only with the current going through in one direc-` tion. lVVithsuch appliances the selective polarity receptacles and` plugsv provide insurance that, if the plugis properly` connected to the appliance forthe particular receptacle, the appliance Will 'alivaysbei properly connected into the circuitsince theplug cannot beput 1n the Wrong Way. 4 'IIoiveveig considerable confusion yresults in the 'use of suclrplugs, from.. the fact that the receptacle may be connected.indierentR ly either Wayto the circuit leads, andlience the plugs are indiiferently connected to the Cable by the manufacturer; and While for i kone having. the necessary skill it is not a dif-` iicult matter to reverse the plug `connection to the cable, many users have notk the requisite skill and are unableV to make the appliance operate in case the connection is wrong. An object of my invention is to eliminate `the possibility of confusion from this canse,

and to 'provide a receptacle With which the plug may be used irrespective lot the Way it isconnected to the appliance. Other objects of my .invention will appear from the iol- 1 lowing description.

. My inventioncontemplatema duplex receptacle, the two kpairs of slots 'being both of the selective polarity type, and in accordance with my invention I reverse the two pairsof slots with respect to each other. In other Words, the narrow slot of one pair provides communication to the same pole as the Wide slot of the otherv pair. With this construction, if the appliance does not operate when the plug is inserted in one pair of slots, all the operatorhas to do is to remove the plug from that pair of slots and insert it in the other pair. In this way the necessity or' reversing the connection of the plug to the cable is avoided. A 1

`My invention includes other features of Construction` as 'Will hereinafter more fully appear. n .n t

I shall nonT` describe ,the illustratedembodiment of -my invention and shall therefitter point out my invention in claim. n

Figure 1 is a face or plan yvievv of the 4Figure .6 is a transverse section 'ot the same taken on line 6 6 body member of a receptacle embodying my invention;

` Figure is a vdetail'in. side elevation ot ay selective polarity plug; K t f.

Figure@ is an enlarged detail in elevation vof lone of the bus contact members;

` :Figure Q'is an endvievv of the same.

V vThe body. memberl is molded of yporcelain or other suitable insulating composition and has in its upper face two pairs of yplug i Wider than theslot 2, and the slot 4 is Wider than the slot 5 and it will be noted that the arrangement of the Slots in the two pairs isi` reversed with respect to each other.

The internal construction of the body4 member lis such that the narrow slot 2 connects with the same bus Contact member as does the wide slot 4, and similarly the Wide slot 3 connects With the same/bus contact member as' does thenarroiv slot 5. p

The construction of the contact members vblade slots 2,3 an'd 4, 5. These slots are and their manner of support Within the body member is substantially the same as that de-A scribed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 591,487, tiled September 30,

Between the slots2' and 4, the body member is provided with another slot or passage 6,*Whi1e a similar sloty orgpa'ssage 7 is pro-k vided between the two slots 3 and 5. Adjacent the slot 6 is a hole 8 for a binding post, while a similar binding post hole 9 is pro- `vided adjacent the slot 7.'

In its rear face the body member is provided with two relatively narrow longitudinal recesses 10 and 11, and the slots 3. 7 and 5 connect with the recess 11, while the slots 2, G and 4 connect with the recess 10.

In each recess 10 and 11 is disposed a bus Contact member of the type shown in detail in Figures 8 and 9. This is composed of a thin strip 12 of phosphor bronze or other suitable conductive metal and has at its two ends on its upper edge integral spring contact leaves 13 and '14 formed by turning back a tongue or projection from that edge while between the two contact leaves 13 and 14 is a third similarly formed contact leaf 15 oit somewhat less height than the two leaves 1) and 14. Such a bus member is inserted in each ot the slots 10 and 11, and when it is so positioned the leaves 13 and l14 on one bus member register with the slots'and 5,

while the corresponding` contact leaves of.

the other bus member register with the slots 2 and 4. The contact leaves 15 of the two bus members register with the slotsb and 7, respectively.

To connect the bus bars with the main leads 1.6 and 17, angle connecting members 18 are provided. These angle members extend downwardly within the slots 6 and 7, respectively, and overlie the binding post holes S and 9. The arm oi the angle members which extend within the slots 6 and 7 has its inner end turned outwardly as shown in Figure 5, to provide a hook portion which catches underneath the bottom edge of the spring leaf contact l5 on'the respective bus member.

. the outer arms-of the angle members and Binding screws 19 pass through into the holes 8 and 9, while the lead wires are clamped against the angle members by' the binding screws, as shown.

In Figure 6 a selective polarity plug 2O ot a usual type is shown inserted in the slots 4 and 5, the wider blade Q1 being in the slot 4, while the narrower blade 22 is in the slot 5. As will be seen, these blades make good Contact with the Contact leaves 14. If it should be found that the current was of the wrong polarity when the plug is inserted in these slots, it is only necessary to take the plug out and insert it in the slots Q and 3, thereby reversing the connection of the blades 21 and 22 with the bus Contact members 12. v

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention.

Ik claim:

A duplex electric receptacle comprising a body member of insulating material provided in its rear iace with two longitudinal recesses for the reception of bus contact members and provided in its front face with two pairs of slots for selective polarity plug blades, one slot of each pair leading to each recess and the two slots of each pair being vof diierent relative conliguration with respect to each other but the same as those of the other pair, and those ot one pair being reversed with respect to thoseA of the other pair, whereby plug blades of a configuration corresponding to that or' the slots of each pair may be inserted only one way in each pair of slots and in reversed positions in the respective pairs. y

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

PAUL HARTMANN. 

